The present invention relates to a retractable roof for vehicles, in particular to a hard roof for cabriolets, and, more particularly, to a retractable roof with roof pillars extending to the side of the roof rear windows. The roof has a stowing position in a receiving space which is situated below the roof pillars when the roof is closed, i.e. extending over the passenger space.
A retractable roof is shown in an article "Offen fur alles", published in Vol. 20 of the "auto motor and sport" magazine of Sep. 21, 1990. In its retracted stowing position, the one-piece roof takes up a considerable space for its accommodation in the vehicle. This not only considerably limits the range of adjustment of the seats in front of it but, with the roof open, there are also no longer any possibilities for accommodating relatively small pieces of luggage behind the front seats.
An object of the present invention is to further improve a retractable roof such that the receiving space required in the vehicle for the retraction process of the roof is markedly reduced.
The solution according to the present invention has been achieved by providing that with the roof in the closed position, the rear window forms a lower boundary of the roof over a width of the roof laying between the roof pillars. The roof can be moved out of the closed or operative position with the stowing position such that the rear window is stowed at a vertical distance from the lower ends of the roof pillars. With the present invention, it is also contemplated that the rear window forming the lower boundary of the roof will comprise a window frame which holds the rear window.
The stowing position of the rear window is particularly space-saving if, with the roof retracted, the entirety of the rear window is arranged above the roof pillars. In this situation, the window aperture present between the roof pillars projecting obliquely forwards in the form of a fork can be used completely as an accommodation space for pieces of luggage or the like. In addition, even with the presence of a central tunnel in the vehicle, it is possible to bring the roof down low, into the immediate vicinity of the vehicle floor.
Another aspect of the present invention contemplates moving the rear window into the lowered position manually or by a motor before the roof retraction, for which purpose the rear window is configured to be displaced or even folded forwards in the longitudinal direction of the roof.
In order to achieve extremely simple operation of the roof during opening and closing, a constrained motion control of the roof via a link arrangement, in which the rear window is included, is provided. As a result, even the lifting of the rear window from its sealing seat on the roof during the retraction process and the accurately fitting placement of the rear window on its roof seat when the roof is closed proceed automatically. Since each guiding link is connected over its length of overlap to the rear window, the rear window has a simultaneous reinforcing effect on at least one guiding link.
In order to make possible a largely unobtrusive arrangement of the guiding links despite the transparency of the rear window, the rear window itself can be configured as a guiding link of correspondingly large size or can at least form a longitudinal region of several guiding links, which longitudinal region is visible with the roof closed. Such a configuration will be expedient especially when the rear window is composed of mineral glass.
Alternatively, however, an unobtrusive course of the guiding links is also possible along the lateral edges of the rear window in accordance with the present invention because the guiding links can be covered as decorative strips.
To enable the swivelling clearance required for swivelling down the rear window to be dimensioned shorter, as seen in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, it is a further advantage of the present invention to have if the guiding links attached to the vehicle body at a longitudinal distance behind the rear window.
If a rear end region of the guiding links is angled or bent at a right angle upwards, the central region of a roll bar which can be swivelled up only with the roof open can be stowed between the lower window edge of the rear window and the attachment points of the guiding links on the body.
In order to ensure that the seal arrangement between the rear window and the roof is subjected to little shear due to frictional forces in the course of the relatively hinging movement, the guiding links can be divided by an intermediate joint into two longitudinal portions.
By way of a displaceable arrangement of two hinged joints of the link arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, a more compact configuration of the receiving space for the roof is possible as seen in the vehicle longitudinal direction. To ensure that the constrained motion control of the roof is retained despite the displaceability, a pendulum-like suspension of the two hinged joints, via in each case one associated hinge lever, is provided.